How to become a Youth Justice Worker

Also called: Youth Correctional Officer, Youth Custodial Officer, Youth Justice Officer

Supports young people in a correctional setting to improve their education and work skills, maintain family links, and assist them with integration into the community.

Main tasks

• Assists with the implementation of education, rehabilitation and other programs to enable reintegration into the community
• Engages individuals in education and recreational activities through active participation, encouragement and mentoring
• Develops age-appropriate living and domestic skills, and helps establish healthy personal hygiene routines
• Engages with young people, conducts risk assessments, undertakes searches and monitors behaviours
• Helps develop positive family relationships, supports young people to be involved in their communities, and engages with employment services
• Understands the youth justice system, relevant legislation, processes and procedures, and establishes and maintains positive and productive working arrangements with a range of stakeholders
• Supervises detainees in transit between courts, prisons and other facilities

Ways in

• University: Law & Justice degrees, Offered by 38 universities in Australia
• TAFE and VET: Diploma of Youth Justice (CHC50521); Certificate IV in Youth Justice (CHC40521); Diploma of Child, Youth and Family Intervention (CHC50321); Diploma of Community Services (CHC52021)

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Typical full-time pay: $95,888 a year
• About 96,500 people work in this job group now, and about 108,000 are projected by 2035. (+11.9%)
• AI is likely to change parts of this job. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as medium.

Related jobs

• Residential Youth Worker
• Youth Worker
• Child Protection Practitioner
• Family Violence Practitioner
• Community Development Officer
• Community Support Worker

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Youth Justice Worker?

Ways in include: Law & Justice degrees; Diploma of Youth Justice; Certificate IV in Youth Justice.

How much does a Youth Justice Worker earn in Australia?

Median full-time pay is $95,888 a year (Jobs and Skills Australia).

Is a Youth Justice Worker a growing career in Australia?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 12% by 2035, from about 96,500 to about 108,000 people (Jobs and Skills Australia).

Do you need a degree to become a Youth Justice Worker?

Not always. 31% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Law & Justice degrees; Diploma of Youth Justice; Certificate IV in Youth Justice.

Will AI change the work of a Youth Justice Worker?

AI is likely to change parts of this job. Jobs and Skills Australia rates its automation exposure as medium.

Sources

• Jobs and Skills Australia: Occupation data (ANZSCO), from ABS Labour Force and Census (February 2026), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Jobs and Skills Australia: Generative AI Capacity Study, interactive table data (September 2025), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Jobs and Skills Australia: Employment Projections (Victoria University) (May 2025 to May 2035), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-04
• Australian Taxation Office: Taxation Statistics, Individuals Table 15A (2023-24), CC BY 2.5 AU, retrieved 2026-10-04

Updated 2026-10-04